WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Providence. To truly discover that which we feel we were meant for or likewise what we might feel was meant FOR us, it’s a journey that can be both fulfilling and fraught with frustration. When we encounter that which we desire, pursue it, and ideally gain access to it, what occurs when the road we travel alongside it actually becomes more than we can bear? A woman (Kseniya Rappoport) sits in her car, the rain having mostly past but some still lingering, watching a young street performer (João Farina) ply his trade. When the opportunity comes to offer him a ride home out of the elements, it becomes a new voyage of discovery for them both, one which could alter their lives forever.
Next, my Mind:
This critic will have to be very transparent up front when it comes to this 21-minute Oscar qualifying short film effort from Italian writer/director/producer Tommaso Acquarone, producers Daniele de Cicco and Daniele Segre, and executive producer Ezio Landini, as even after taking in the film twice, I find myself surprisingly, but pleasantly, baffled a bit when it comes to interpreting the story I witnessed. Now, mind you, this is NOT a bad thing, for while I know filmmakers have specific points of intent when it comes to presenting their projects and the meanings behind them, I have always felt often that so many things are in the eye of the beholder and what each viewer might choose to take away from what they’ve seen. On the basic level, what I do know for sure was that this straightforward dramatic film carries with it the core heartbeat of indie cinema–character and narrative-driven content, which makes it relatable and believable for us.
From the very start of the story that sees a 45-year-old woman taking an enigmatic phone call that then heralds the beginning of her innocent, yet somehow premeditated, attentions towards a younger street performer she eventually offers a ride home to and the ramifications of this that ensue, it remains a mystery as to exactly what it is about their connection that reveals itself with veiled hints and conjecture as the events unfold, they learn more about each other, and the bond that forms turns stronger. But, is it the burden of loneliness we’re being presented with, or the chasing of bygone youth and that loss of more carefree ways that accompanied it? Is it pure yearning to be loved and actually SEEN again, to FEEL something again, anticipating what life could still bring to us, exciting and vibrant? Are we seeking someone who we believe is our destiny? Is there even something forbidden in it all lying beneath the surface, a familiarity that is also hinted at during the film’s opening?
Again, I could be COMPLETELTY off in all of this, and if so, I would offer my sincerest apologies to the filmmakers as I normally very much (humbly) pride myself at being able to dig into a film’s foundational thematic objectives as well as fleshing out the ones that might not be so obvious, yet here I do, as mentioned above, find myself a tad perplexed. But, that’s the beauty of this film!! It still resonates with me, speaks to those possibilities listed above, and does so with both subtle and deeply impassioned execution that allows the film’s finale to hit you hard when seeing the aftermath of all that’s transpired to that instant, and hence it fuels your sense of wonder and questioning about precisely what you’ve watched and the subsequent evocative atmosphere that’s been elicited by it. I loved the way the cinematography captured the myriad of nuances in the story, how it embraces the two primary characters in all the dramatic, playful, intimate, then hesitant moments they share, again just at least telling a tale of foundational human connection and impulses.
Rappoport excels here at presenting a portrait of hope, love, and release through the character she plays, a woman offering up both vulnerability and quietly burning need that is birthed through a phone call and the pursuit of a young man whom she finds a particular familiarity with that she seems very driven to discover more about. Once this initial interaction is finally made real through offering him a ride home one day after he’s finished his street performances, their slowly building, playfully frisky attachment grows to a point where it might just go where she seems to wish it to go–or does she? And, in the aftermath of the moments they begin to share, it’s an overwhelming emotional wave that washes over her, leaving one wondering what exactly it was that causes her to pause in the midst of everything we believe she was seeking, while STILL trying to ascertain the unique facet of undisclosed recognition she sees in him from the start. It’s a fantastic performance Rappoport delivers, full of grounded, realistic, stirring energy.
Farina demonstrates both physical and acting skills through his turn here as the young man, a street performer whose captured the attentions of a woman who seems like she should be a stranger and yet somehow brings about a sense of awareness of who he is. Even as she catches him post-performance one day and offers him a ride home, to his initial hesitation, it becomes a light-hearted and ever-growing infatuation between them that culminates to other explorations in relaxation and personal affinity towards each other that could be a lead-in to something beginning–or the possible end of it all before it truly ever starts. It’s this constant air of ambiguity and nagging vagueness that permeates the time he spends with her in the car ride and the equally nebulousness manner of their parting that seems to leave him more than frustrated–but overall–WHY?? It’s an answer we might never figure out, but regardless Farina’s performance is understated yet powerful as he so deftly navigates the emotive nuances of the pair’s story.
So, in total, “My Eyes (I Miei Occhi)” remains an absolutely excellent example of what both the short film and indie cinema arenas are capable of creating–original, bold, and fearless adventures in character-driven storytelling. Even with what this critic found was a high magnitude of purposeful obscurity the film’s narrative relies on, it’s this definitively avant-garde style that makes the project a stroke of filmmaking genius and hence why it is up for potential Oscar nomination. I’ll freely admit once more that I may have totally missed and/or misread the meanings and aims the film was going for, but even if so, I would accept that and thoroughly enjoy being wrong, as it is still more than evident the film IS quality material and more than worthy to be acknowledged and awarded.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
Once again your writing is captivating